The healthcare system is in crisis, with access appearing to be at an all-time low due to increased demand and reduced supply. There is an urgent need, particularly in primary care, to create evidence-informed, value-based strategies that improve efficiency and enhance care. First Contact Physiotherapy (FCP) is one solution that focuses on integrating physiotherapists into primary and community care to increase access to both prevention and rehabilitation services, and thereby diverting demand from primary care physicians. The evidence for FCP will be presented along with the status of initiatives and structural barriers that need to be removed to facilitate improved access to essential primary care. 

The predicted shortage of the healthcare workforce has reached a crisis state. National and provincial agencies are advocating for greater resources and new strategies to close the gap required to deliver healthcare services to Canadians. However, most of these recommendations are aimed at increased funding to augment recruitment and clear healthcare need backlogs.  Although retention strategies are included, they do not address the fact that the work environment is a local issue, one that healthcare organizations need to address with local strategies.  This discussion will focus on the need for and methods to improve local sense of meaning and purpose, reduced burden and increased joy in work.

Our healthcare system is facing a critical moment as we rebuild from the pandemic. What have we learned about our healthcare system in response to the stress it faced? How should we approach building a better healthcare system that is both resilient to future crises and sustainable in the face of long-term stresses? The Partnership for Health Sustainability and Resilience, founded by AstraZeneca, the World Economic Forum and the London School of Economics is launching a Canadian report in partnership with Sara Allin, Associate Professor at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME) at the University of Toronto. The report will assess Canada’s health systems across seven key domains: financing; governance; workforce; medicines and technology; service delivery; population health; and environmental sustainability, in order to identify strengths, potential weaknesses, opportunities and risks. We look forward to seeing the results of the report and discussing the key takeaways for Canada’s healthcare systems.  

Reading List:

Sustainability and Resilience in the Canadian Health System – World Economic Forum Report

Durabilité et résilience dans le  système de santé canadien – French Executive Summary

The COVID-19 pandemic created a crisis in delivering routine and school-based vaccinations to school-age children, resulting in delayed and missed vaccinations for many children across the country. This is putting children at risk of preventable diseases, such as meningitis as well as human papillomavirus (HPV), which could lead to increased risk of cancer later in life. What is the extent of the problem and what are governments and public health agencies doing to catch-up on missed vaccinations? Join us for a discussion with clinicians and public health experts for how this issue has particularly impacted Ontario and what they think needs to be done to address the problem.